For those of you thinking that the sudden
presence of scientific images on front covers of newspapers can only be related
to an exciting upcoming episode of The
Big Bang Theory, allow me to attempt to explain.
They’ve found it. The Higgs Boson, the God
Particle, call it what you but apparently it’s pretty important. The existence
of the Higgs Boson particle was predicted by Professor Peter Higgs of the
University of Edinburgh in 1964 and it’s taken just under 50 years for them to
be able to confirm it’s existence. It is described as the cornerstone of modern
physics and it’s discovery is said to be the physics equivalent of the
discovery of DNA. While I’m happy for old mate Higgsy who didn’t think his
prediction would be proven in his lifetime, the implications for the every day
non-science inclined person are relatively insignificant.
Physics was my worst subject at school. I
didn’t enjoy the fact that I couldn’t argue my way out of getting the incorrect
answer and I didn’t enjoy sitting at a classroom table that had a sink built
into it. That being said, the discovery of this God Particle has some serious
implications on a particular aspect of my life.
My mum first told me about Father Christmas
and the Easter Bunny when I was three years old, she decided I wasn’t mature
enough for the realities of the Tooth Fairy at that point. I distinctly
remember Easter and Christmas eve’s spent setting elaborate traps in hope of
capturing either of these stealthy fellas and being disappointed the next
morning to find presents/chocolate eggs at the end of my bed and the courier no
where to be found. And while since then I’ve heard whispers that both Old Saint
Nick and the Easter Bunny are NOT REAL, I believe that they in fact simply
haven’t been found.
Based on the timeline it took to find
something so straightforward as a particle, it doesn’t surprise me that we
haven’t located a red suited magical toy maker or chocolatier rabbit. I’m
currently 27 years old, which means in order to keep pace with Higgsy, I have
just under 26 more years for me to prove the existence of these two ‘mythical’
creatures. And rest assured now that the Higgs Boson has been discovered I’ve
already submitted my request form for the usage of the Large Hadron Collider in
Switzerland since I’m assuming that these two are next of the most wanted list.
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